Coca-Cola | Security Cameras | 2013
Is happiness still real when it's being watched? / Coca-Cola "Security Cameras"
It wasn't until my third watch that I realized how clever it was to use security camera footage this way — the first time, I just cried, plain and simple.
The problem
Security cameras usually mean footage of accidents or robberies — a pile of negativity. Coca-Cola has been painting the world happy with "Open Happiness" since 2009, and this film is an extension of that. According to CD Marin Mercado, the goal was to prove that security cameras actually capture a lot of happy moments too.
The insight
Proving the belief that "there are more good people than bad people" by using the most suspicious piece of equipment of all — the security camera. Flipping the perspective like this is powerful, and it works on you without you even realizing it.
The idea
They gathered security camera footage (and some recreated footage) from around the world: someone stealing a kiss, someone handing out potato chips to a homeless person, an "honest pickpocket" who returns a wallet. The on-screen text wordplay is clever too. It all plays out to Supertramp's "Give A Little Bit," closing with the line "Let's look at the world a little differently."
What happened
Within a month of release, it had 5.4 million views and 44,500 likes. It won Best Non-Alcoholic Ad at El Sol. It also aired during the 2013 Super Bowl, where some viewers found it moving but also a bit creepy. It was produced by Landia as a 90-second version for Coca-Cola Latin America.
Afterthought
It's simply impressive that they can keep carrying a huge word like "Happiness" on a global scale. That said — I cried the first time, raised an eyebrow the second time, and by the third time started wondering if it was staged. Even with all that back-and-forth, I want to stay true to how it hit me the first time.
